Medical diagnoses are usually based on looking at a combination of the symptoms and basic diagnostic tests. With an understanding of basic medical science and/or through diagnostic tests, these symptoms can be correlated to a few possible diseases, which can then be ruled out.
Instructions
1. Identify the primary symptom. This is the symptom that the patient finds the most troublesome. A common example of this is pain.
2. Obtain more information about the primary symptom. Ask the patient to describe it. If it is pain, ask them to tell you what the pain feels like. If they have a cough, ask them if it feels like a dry or a wet cough.
3. Identify other symptoms. These can often yield insights, as certain diseases have typical groups of symptoms.
4. Identify things that make the symptoms worse or better. For pain, heat or cold can help with the symptoms, as can anti-inflammatory medications. Breathing problems can be affected by posture or by cold air and other allergens.
5. Perform medical tests. Typical diagnostic tests include blood work and X-rays, though they vary depending on the disease.
Tags: diagnostic tests, feels like, primary symptom
